Washington, January 28: Childhood obesity increases the risk of developing heart disease and stroke even in those with no known cardiovascular risk factors, a new study finds.
Metabolic syndrome, consisted of abdominal obesity, elevated triglyceride and decreased HDL levels, hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance, places youngsters at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes in early adulthood.
According to the study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, children classified as obese when they are as young as 7 are more likely to experience cardiovascular events as an adult even before the onset of the comorbidities of the metabolic syndrome or puberty.
Obese children have higher levels of biomarkers for inflammation including high sensitivity C-reactive protein, a marker associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
Prothrombosis factors such as fibrinogen, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), linked to elevated blood clotting risk, were also reported to be higher in these children.
“This new study demonstrates that the unhealthy consequences of excess body fat start very early. Our study shows that obesity alone is linked to certain abnormalities in the blood that can predispose individuals to developing cardiovascular disease early in adulthood,” said lead researcher Nelly Mauras.
Scientists, therefore, urged families and physicians to perform more aggressive interventions in very young children with obesity regardless of the absence of associated comorbidities.
—-Agencies